1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a direct replacement air handler filter, in an exemplary embodiment having a unitary housing. The unitary housing having a standard width for air handler filters so as to be a direct replacement for existing standard filters and future air filters. The housing contains a movement member, a motor, a power source, a controller and a filter media. The product strives to be both directly replaceable with a filter and disposable with minimum environmental impact. The replacement air handler filter being further located within a channel in the air handler unit wherein the air is passed within the channel and passed through the filter media. The replacement air filter having a compacted or stored portion of the filter media that is moved out to replace the initial and subsequent sections of filter media exposed by the invention to air within the air handler unit. Additional aspects of the invention include remote monitoring and communication with the air filtration unit or air handler, enabling monitoring and alert for replacement of the air filter. Additionally, the air filtration unit or air handler may be enabled to monitor and communicate air quality and to take further actions in response to alerts sent through a network.
2. Background of the Invention
An important component in almost all Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) and air filtration units in general is a filtration mechanism for removal of particulates and contaminants from the air flow. In HVAC systems this is preferably before or sometimes after coming into contact with heat exchanging elements. The removal of the contaminants helps prevent reduction in heat transfer associated with accumulation of the contaminants on the heat exchanger elements. Additionally, the removal of these contaminants also improves the quality of the air circulated by the HVAC air handling system. The timing for replacing or renewing these filtration mechanisms is therefore important in both improving efficiency and maintaining air quality in most air filtration applications.
In most systems a filter is used through which the air is passed. Dirty filters result in lower flow rates of air which translates to lower efficiency in air filtration, especially in HVAC systems where it equates to less heat exchange in the HVAC equipment. The equipment must run longer to accomplish the intended goals, for example contaminant filtration and/or temperature control. In HVAC for instance, air conditioning equipment may freeze up due to inadequate heat exchange. Additionally, the motors and other components must run longer and harder resulting in increased wear on the entire system, reducing its useful life. Thus, the filtration systems of air handler units require constant attention and maintenance. In commercial and industrial applications, it is often the case that the air handling functions are monitored by a control center and maintained based on performance measurements. For example, when utilizing multiple refrigeration units in chemical processing the timing and performance of the cooling units is often integral to the manufacturing process, these systems are therefore monitored and maintained based on sensor reports, typically from within the system itself or based on hours of operation. Upon determination by the controller or by a set schedule, the filters on such systems are replaced. Similarly, in residential settings, many HVAC companies sell maintenance contracts to residential clients, typically annual or bi-annual in nature, to address routine maintenance. However the removable, replaceable filters that are typically in these units require more frequent replacement by these clients.
Filters for most residential and commercial air filtration and air handling equipment are typically removable, replaceable, rigid, framed units. Rigid framed filters can be time consuming to replace or clean and often require frequent replacement, typically monthly. This also requires an added amount of attention by an industrial or commercial maintenance staff or residential unit owner. For instance, in a commercial setting the restaurant owner or similar commercial customer must provide an even greater amount of attention to cleaning and/or replacing these types of filters. The filters often go unchanged as users forget to change the filter regularly. This shortfall has been well known and several attempts have been made in the past to provide long lasting filters. Several attempts have been made to provide a reel system, see for example US Patent Application No. 2006/0102006, Japanese Patent No. JP06233945, German Patent No. DE19654844 A1, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,168,646, 4,470,833, 6,152,998, 4,221,576.
Though these have extended lengths of service, in each instance, the resulting device requires either modification of the HVAC unit or extension of the device from the standard width and location of the filter. Additionally, these devices are often hardwired into the electrical system of the existing unit, requiring modification of the electrical connections within the existing HVAC unit. This makes these existing devices impractical for easy use by a typical end user. For example, as seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,152,998, 6,632,269, 6,491,735, 6,402,822, and 6,743,282 and the commercially available OPTIMAIR system, often the reels are located outside the unit and are located in a reel storage area that is non-uniform in width. This also prevents direct replacement of the existing filter with these types of units as the footprints are completely different and these systems are not direct replacement for the existing filter.
Other commercial applications use sheets that are stretched between rolls on either side of an air duct, see for example U.S. Pat. No. 6,632,269 to Najm, U.S. Pat. No. 4,331,576 to Phillips Jr., or U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,998 to Taylor. In each embodiment, significant modifications to the HVAC or cooling system would need to be made to install the devices or they use a non-standard footprint. The systems do not provide retrofitting the filter structure to existing HVAC equipment and moreover, they require significant installation steps as outlined above with respect to residential units that operate in a similar manner.
Additional attempts have been made to address the issue in a commercial HVAC application, for instance U.S. Pat. No. 7,186,290 to Sheehan. In U.S. Pat. No. 7,186,290, a stack of filters is cycled through the device. This system requires a large amount of modification to incorporate into existing devices, as with other existing designs. Additionally, the stacks of stored filters require a significant amount of space in or around the HVAC unit. Thus, existing systems require either significant additional modifications or additional space to operate and provide extended use filter systems. Moreover, no economical method of providing a self-renewing or extended use air filter within the standard footprint of the existing filter housings has been provided.
A direct replacement filter would be one that fits into existing filter footprints as defined by the OEM. A uniform and industry standard width is provided in almost all residential and most commercial filters. Similarly, industrial applications, though often purpose built, have specific filter footprints after completion and replacement of these custom sizes is also contemplated. The filters shown in all of the above noted patents and publications are not direct replacement filters as they would require extensive modifications to fit in the place of the existing filters in these air handler and HVAC systems. In addition to not fitting a standard footprint, filter units like those shown would require opening and disposal of the spent filter media, exposing the user and the device to the contaminants that were already collected. Further the installation of the systems would require additional wiring and would likely require professional installation. Additionally, little or no communications are provided at the source of filtration, therefore, these systems cannot effectively communicate the status of the air being handled or further communicate with machinery or other devices.
To date, no commercially successful system has been produced for use in conventional air filtration or HVAC systems without modification or extending beyond the footprint provided for the replaceable filter, in other words a direct replacement for the filter. A direct replacement filter having a footprint that fits in the standard width provided in today's HVAC systems that has an extended use, while being more environmentally friendly and remaining sealed preventing re-exposure or re-admission of contaminants to the air and the system is needed. Moreover, no economical method of providing a self-renewing or extended use air filter within the standard footprint of the existing filter housings has been provided. Additionally, no filter to date with such extended use and standard footprints exists that can both store and communicate air quality through a sensor to a communications network and, based on that communication, prompt an alert to a user or control center.
There is, therefore, a need for a method and apparatus for providing for a self-renewing or extended use air filter for air handling and HVAC applications that has a standard footprint that fits within existing commercial and residential apparatus, provides extended useful life to the filter, requires little or not modification to install in existing equipment, facilitates and enhances communication of the air quality, communicates with other elements of the air handler or a network, and has a minimal impact on the environment when discarded. Further, though the exemplary embodiments are shown for replacement air handler filters, in addition to air handlers and HVAC systems, the instant invention is adaptable to other air filtration applications, some non-limiting examples being spray booths, computers, room and building air purification, gaming machines, clean rooms, electronics manufacturing, and other applications utilizing air filtration with framed filters.